A Child-Friendly Space helps communities stay resilient in Malynivka
Over 550 children in the Malynivka community, Kharkiv region, cannot attend school or communicate freely with peers due to the war. But the community is not giving up. Thanks to support from the civil sector, a Child-Friendly Space has been operating here for over a year — a place where children can be children again, and adults find vital psychosocial support.
The space was created by the NGO Responsible Citizens in partnership with UNICEF Ukraine. It offers a safe environment for play, learning, emotional recovery, and communication. Children of all ages are welcome, and adults who have experienced loss, evacuation, or separation receive social and psychological assistance.
“This is the flint that keeps us going through the hard years of war,” says Yevhen Chudnyi, deputy head of the local military administration.
These Child-Friendly Spaces are much more than play areas. They provide care, stability, and trust — all crucial in times of crisis. Parents also have a chance to emotionally recover and realize they are not alone.
Responsible Citizens, with support from UNICEF, has launched similar initiatives in more than 35 communities in Eastern Ukraine, including remote villages. Assistance is provided both in permanent spaces and through mobile psychosocial support teams.
🎥 Watch the video from Malynivka — care that helps communities stay strong:
Більше новин
-
Aid Continues to Reach Frontline RegionsThanks to our partners — Humanitarian Nova Poshta — we have delivered another batch of support to psychosocial support centres in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions.
-
Inclusive Education Project Launches in 10 Schools in Zaporizhzhia RegionOver the next 3.5 months, the team from the NGO Responsible Citizens will work with students with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as with the specialists who support them.
-
“The most important thing is to be with your child and to be safe.”Maryna from the village of Volodymyrivka in Donetsk region is raising her four-year-old son. Before the war, she had a peaceful life — her own home, a small household, and a job as a shop assistant. It seemed that hostilities would not reach their village, but the explosions gradually came closer.
-
Responsible Citizens NGO is launching activities within the framework of a new partnership with JERU – a joint initiative of the international organizations Welthungerhilfe and Concern WorldwideThe project is funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and implemented in Sumy region.
-
Application Phase for the Mini-Grants Program in Kharkiv Region Has EndedWe have completed the application phase for the mini-grants program for local initiatives in Kharkiv Region, implemented by the NGO “Responsible Citizens” in partnership with JERU and with financial support from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.
-
How the educational project helps people find a new professionThe educational component of the joint project with Mercy Corps, funded by the UK government, has reached its final stage. This is an important step for the develop...
-
Safe space for children in Malynivka: Restoring the community through supportIn the Malynivka community of Kharkiv region, which suffered from the full-scale invasion, NGO "Responsible Citizens" together with UNICEF Ukraine created a child-friendly Space. This place has become a pillar for children and families, helping to overcome fear and losses.
-
Over 2 thousand humanitarian aid sets received by residents of Dobropole community“Thanks to the partnership of the NGO “Responsible Citizens” with World Vision International and with funding from Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH),...